Car Rigging

[BillD²²² 0]

Hey All,

This post was inspired by Voz's technical rigging post from the other day.

I'm looking into learning how to rig up a car, but I'm not really a code/Expresso guy.
How do you guys go about rigging up a car?

I'm exploring 3 different plugins:
1) Drive 1.7
2) Motor, Advanced Car Rig
3) Easy Car Rig v2.0

I'm leaning towards Motor (reasonable $20) and I cannot find a working download link for Easy-Car-Rig 2.0

Also, when we get the models for the cars, they tend to be exported out of autocad, very heavy very detailed models. I assume this is the case for most of us.
Do you use these same models or do you just model a new version (assuming you are an awesome modeler) or hire someone to make a more low poly? Or just grin and bear it and deal w the heavy models?

Any thoughts??

[oeuf 0]

The last time I did a car animation, I just used a simple Xpresso setup to drive the wheels to turn when the model moved forward. The animation was simple and didn't require any plugins, your case may be different.

 

I got a really heavy CAD model but there were alot of unneeded details in the model that I removed. I'm talking about every mechanical thing down to nuts and bolts were in the file. I only kept what was needed and seen by the camera at rendertime making it alot easier to work with.

 

Find out what your needs are and work accordingly, good luck!

[Zickar 0]

There was an old youtube series I think that broke car rigging down .. I think you need to simplify your rig and use some sort of low detail proxy for the dynamics and then link everything in

[vozzz 2]

Glad my rigging reel was inspirational

 

keep in mind some of those plugins you mention are simulators, where you have to drive your car.

 

I personally prefer keyframing, because it gives me way more control. maybe for rougher terrain you could use, dynamic suspension wheels.. also if you have lots of cars or really long distance driving i guess there, simulators have the advantage..

 

ithe biggest issue i have is: its really hard to art direct driving simulators.